HL Deb 20 December 1989 vol 514 cc328-9WA
Lord Windlesham

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What will be the effect on the prison building programme of the extra provision of £80 million in 1990–91 for the maintenance, repair and upgrading of prisons which was announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his 1989 Autumn Statement.

Earl Ferrers

The increased level of funding included in this year's public expenditure settlement for improvements to the existing prison estate will enable essential health, safety and security measures to be brought forward, while maintaining progress on a wide range of refurbishment and redevelopment work which is already under way at many establishments. It will also ensure that the programme to reduce substantially the practice of "slopping out" in the older prisons will not be delayed by lack of funds.